In one of his first acts as president, Donald Trump signed an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.”
The newly inaugurated president described the decision as part of his effort to “renew the pillars of American civilization,” according to the order.
The executive order also directs that Alaska’s highest peak, Denali, be returned to its original name, Mount McKinley, which it held before former President Barack Obama changed it in 2015.
The order tasks the US secretary of the interior with updating federal maps to reflect these name changes. Trump appointed North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum to oversee the process.
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In a January press conference at Mar-a-Lago, Trump explained the rationale behind the name change. He claimed the Gulf is “currently run by cartels” he further emphasized, “It’s ours.
“We’re going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, which has a beautiful ring that covers a lot of territory.
“What a beautiful name. And it’s appropriate. It’s appropriate. And Mexico has to stop allowing millions of people to pour into our country.”
While presidents have the authority to rename geographic features through executive orders, the US Board of Geographic Names typically holds responsibility for such decisions.
The Gulf of Mexico is a key geographical and economic area, covering roughly 600,000 square miles, making it the ninth-largest body of water in the world.
The Gulf supports about 50% of the nation’s petroleum refining and natural gas processing capacity, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
It also contributes roughly 40% of the US seafood supply, as reported by the Environmental Defense Fund.
The name change has already been incorporated into official state documents. Following Trump’s inauguration, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued an executive order regarding winter weather, referring to the body of water as the “Gulf of America.”
The order noted, “An area of low pressure moving across the Gulf of America, interacting with Arctic air, will bring widespread impactful winter weather to North Florida.”
